Inner Demons
by LVW-Retribution
Summary: Something caused Ryan Evans to leave Albuquerque 5 years ago. Now living in Denver as Alex Thompson, he’s going back to say goodbye to his sister; and to confront the reason he left. Multiple parings, eventual Ryella. R&R. Chapter 9-13 summaries up now!
1. Chapter 1

**From the Author:** I've been just really bored lately, so I'm doing this story thinking something like this might happen to me soon. As per usual, I own nothing that Disney has not already claimed.

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**Inner Demons**

**Chapter I**

24-year-old Alex Thompson entered his apartment and set his bag of groceries on the counter. Walking over to the window, he opened it and took a deep breath of the cool mountain air. Alex had been living in Denver for the last 5 years, barely talking to anyone outside his close friend Kelsi. She was the only one that knew Alex Thompson had changed his name from Ryan Evans to what it was after leaving Albuquerque seemingly without a trace. His family didn't even know where he was.

A waft of perfume from his neighbor below made him snap his eyes open and whisper, "Gabriella." He quickly realized what he had said and closed the window to prevent any more perfume from reaching him. He walked back over to the groceries and put them away. After putting them away, he went into his room and looked at his empty queen-sized bed. So seldom he had company in his bed made him look at the shelf next to the television.

There were three pictures on the shelf. The one on the left was a family portrait. He was smiling next to his sister, Sharpay, and his parents. It was one of the few times his senior year his parents were in the same place. His father travelled so much. The picture in the center was one of him, Sharpay, and Kelsi at graduation. It was one of the last pictures he had been in before moving to Denver.

The third picture was face down with a thick layer of dust on it, indicating that it hadn't been touched or cleaned in some time. His hand hovered over it for a few seconds and he thought to himself, _'It's been too long. I should look at it. To hell with what happens.'_ Ryan put his hand on the picture and picked it up. He let out a shuddering gasp after turning it over. It was a picture of him with Gabriella in his arms bridal style. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she was smiling wider than he'd ever seen. Taylor took it two days before the talent show in the summer before senior year; their summer at Lava Springs.

A tear broke free from his eye and ran down his face, dripping onto the carpet. Many others soon followed. Ryan set the picture down roughly and flopped down onto his bed. How could she have done what she did, and without telling anyone? He slowly regained his composure and wiped the tears from his face.

He changed into his workout clothes and began doing exercises in his living room. The same routine he had followed since he moved in. Every Tuesday he bought groceries, and everyday he worked out at either the gym or his apartment. He was about half-way through before his phone rang. Ryan sighed and mopped the sweat from his head before looking at his blackberry and seeing that is was Kelsi calling.

"Kels, what's going on?" He asked after connecting the call.

"Ryan," Kelsi managed to say between the sobs.

"Kelsi, what's wrong?" Ryan asked concernedly.

"It's Sharpay," Kelsi cried out.

"What happened to Sharpay, Kels?" Ryan asked

"She's dead, Ryan," Kelsi sobbed. "She was in a car accident this morning."

The composure Ryan had was gone again. He began crying again and choked out, "When's the funeral?"

"Your parents are hurrying things along," Kelsi answered. "It's this Saturday."

"Looks like I'm coming home after all. I'll call when I have the flight plans made up."

"You're gonna get through this," Kelsi reassured. "You've gotten through worse."

"Bye Kels."

"Bye."

Ryan hung up and noticed his other hand was shaking. He clenched it and put it at his side. His hand only shook when he was depressed, but it had never been this bad before. Now he had two things to worry about. His sister was dead and he never got to say goodbye. He also had to go back to Albuquerque and see everyone he left behind, including Gabriella Bolton.

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**From the Author:** People probably saw it coming, but I see Ryan as the nice guy who doesn't get the girl. There's a reason he didn't get her, which will be explored in a later chapter. Review this and let me know if I should keep going. If you add me to your alerts, leave a review too. 


	2. Chapter 2

**From the Author:** Even though I'm not getting reads on this, I'm gonna keep this going. Standard disclaimer applies.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter II**

Ryan stepped off the plane and walked with the crowd through the umbilical into the terminal of Albuquerque's airport. He had on a dark hat and glasses in the event he ran into anyone he knew from the life he once had. Looking at the board, he saw his luggage would be coming out on carousel 6. He opened his phone, turned it on, and texted Kelsi to meet him at baggage claim.

He followed the signs and found himself at baggage claim, collecting his large suitcase and overnight bag he had to check. His partner at Denver Metro Theaters had agreed to take over for Ryan/Alex for the funeral and the week following. It wasn't that big a deal, Ryan was a partial owner since he bought part of the theater from the retiring owner two years ago.

He turned around and starting walking to the lounge, passing a woman holding a sign that read 'A. Thompson'. His heart skipped a beat and walked around her, setting his bags down. "You look great, Kels."

Kelsi whipped around, her long brown hair following her. Her glasses were gone, replaced by contacts. She certainly looked better, except for the slight redness around her eyes. "So do you!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him.

"Jason know I'm here?" Ryan asked. Jason had married Kelsi a year and a half after Ryan moved to Denver.

"He can't get away," Kelsi answered. "He's stuck in Chicago filming his new movie. He wanted me to send his best."

"He knows I'm still alive?"

"No."

"I didn't eat breakfast, you wanna get lunch?" Ryan asked, looking towards the lounge.

"Yeah, I'm getting a craving."

Ryan and Kelsi got a private table and ordered. Ryan ordered an omlette and Kelsi ordered a small plate of spare ribs.

"You don't eat ribs," Ryan pointed out. Then what Kelsi said earlier hit him. "Wait a sec, are you…"

"Yeah," Kelsi nearly shouted. "I found out the day after I called you. I'm flying out to Chicago to tell Jason on Monday."

Ryan got up from the table and pulled Kelsi up for a tight hug. "Oh, god, I'm so happy for you two. How many other people know?"

"Just you and my family, except for Jason," Kelsi answered. She and Ryan sat back down and their food arrived. They spent the whole meal catching up. Kelsi was working at West High as a music teacher, but was going to leave at the end of the year so she could start songwriting for Jason's movies.

She told him about the rest of the gang: Chad and Taylor moved to Oklahoma City so he could play for a minor league baseball team and Taylor began working for a pharmaceutical company. Martha became a health and fitness guru and moved to Philadelphia. Zeke was in Albuquerque, but in pieces since Sharpay's death. She began crying when she told Ryan Sharpay's autopsy revealed she was pregnant. Ryan cried briefly for her sister. She mentioned Troy and Gabriella and stopped when she noticed the table shaking. Ryan's hands were gripping the table so hard his knuckles were white.

"Sorry," Kelsi whispered. She placed her hand on his and he slowly let go of the table.

"Is everybody else flying in?" Ryan asked.

"Chad and Taylor are flying in tonight," Kelsi began. "Everyone else flew in or arrived last night. They all wanted to catch up, share memories."

"Where are they?" Ryan asked.

"They're at a house," Kelsi answered, sipping from her water. Ryan took that as someplace he didn't want to go. "Are you gonna tell them you're back?"

"A lot of them aren't going to be happy with me. I've been gone for five years!"

"I'll call Zeke and Martha, have them meet us at my house," Kelsi said opening her phone. The check arrived and Ryan paid for it. Kelsi told Zeke and Martha to meet her at her house in half an hour; she had something big to tell them.

HSMSHSMSHSMSHSM

"You can stay in the guest room," Kelsi said, unlocking the door to her house. It was situated on one of the hills overlooking Albuquerque. The living and dining rooms were overlooking the city, the windows lining one side of the rooms. She led him down the stairs and along the hall.

He poked his head into one of the rooms and saw a theater setup. "Nice," he commented.

"In here," Kelsi said. She opened the door and let Ryan walk inside. It was a lot like Ryan's bedroom in Denver. She pointed to a box above the light switch, "Stay down here until I call you."

"I'll get cleaned up," Ryan said pulling his toiletry bag out.

The doorbell rang and both of them looked up. "That's them," Kelsi said. "Hurry up." She left and walked back upstairs. Ryan looked around the room and walked into the guest bathroom. He shaved, washed his face and brushed his teeth.

He walked to the end of the hallway and overheard Zeke, Martha, and Kelsi talking about what was going on. He heard footsteps and Kelsi's name on the intercom. "Alex, could you come up here?" That was Ryan's cue.

Ryan came up the stairs and Zeke and Martha's jaws both dropped when they saw who it was. "Kelsi, what the hell! Is this some kind of trick?" Zeke shouted.

"No trick," Ryan said confidently.

Martha got up and walked over to Ryan hesitantly. He barely recognized her, she had lost so much weight since he saw her last. "Is it really you?"

Ryan hung his head and softly replied, "Yes."

Martha slapped him across the face, hard. Ryan barely felt it, he looked Martha in the eyes, and she hugged him. "Why'd you leave?"

"I couldn't stay, not after what happened," Ryan explained.

"Kels, does anyone else know he's back?" Zeke asked, referring to Ryan.

"Sharpay didn't even know he was alive," Kelsi said solemnly. "According to everyone not standing in this room, Ryan Evans is dead."

"You're gonna have to talk to…" Zeke began.

"No," Ryan said flatly.

"You gotta talk to her sooner or later," Martha reasoned.

"I choose later," Ryan answered.

"I'm picking up Chad and Taylor from the airport tonight, why don't we get together after I pick them up? Dinner?" Zeke asked.

"Only if you're cooking," Kelsi answered.

"And only if I can help," Martha added.

"My house at 8:30 then," Zeke confirmed. He turned on Ryan, "you shouldn't have left the way you did. We would've supported you."

"There are some things one must do on one's own," Ryan defended "I had to deal with this on my own. No one could've helped me."

Martha and Zeke both nodded. Martha looked at her watch, "I need to get going. I've got a conference call in 45 minutes."

"Since I'm your ride, we better go," Zeke said, grabbing his coat off the couch. Martha was out the door and Zeke stopped in the doorway and said to Ryan, "Welcome home. Too bad it wasn't under better circumstances."

"We'll see you tonight," Ryan said. Zeke nodded and closed the door.

Kelsi finally spoke up, "That went better than I thought it would."

"Telling Chad and Taylor will be worse," was all that Ryan said before going out onto the patio.

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**From the Author:** I shouldn't be writing this right now, I've got a midterm tomorrow I should be studying for. R&R, I didn't get a lot of hits the first chapter. 


	3. Chapter 3

**From the Author:** Seriously guys, I need some more people reading this. When I started typing this chapter, I only had 100 hits on chapter 1. Read, Review, and Recommend. Thank you to TroyellaISaPOSER, Bal8rokstar, and DiamondsAreAGirl'sBestFriend04 for reviewing. Same disclaimers as always.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter III**

Ryan sat on Kelsi's couch while she got ready, his hand shaking. Ryan grabbed his hand and held it until it subsided. It had steadily been getting worse over the last few days, but Ryan didn't know what was causing it. As soon as Kelsi was ready, they were going to Zeke's to tell Chad and Taylor he was still alive. Martha was staying with him now, comforting him over Sharpay's death. He didn't even notice Kelsi standing in front of him.

"Come on, Ryan. We're gonna be late," Kelsi said, leaning over to look Ryan in the eyes.

Ryan stood up silently and followed Kelsi out to her car. They drove down into Albuquerque and made their way to Zeke's. They had just passed a Walgreens when Ryan finally spoke up. "I should dye my hair before the funeral."

"Huh?" Kelsi asked. She was so used to the silence.

"My hair," Ryan repeated. "I should dye it so no one connects the dots."

"We'll swing by the Walgreens on the way back," Kelsi agreed. She turned onto a side street and slowly pulled into a driveway. It was a nice two story house that looked like it came from a cookie cutter. Almost all the houses in the neighborhood looked alike.

They both got out of the car and Ryan let out a shuddering breath. Kelsi looked at him and said, "It'll be okay. Just follow my lead." Kelsi rang the bell and Martha came and got it.

"Hey, Kels."

"Hey, Martha," Kelsi replied. "You remember Alex, right?" Kelsi winked.

"How could I forget?" She hugged Ryan/Alex. "Zeke just finished making dinner; he's dealing with Chad and Taylor. You ready, Ryan?"

"No, but I can't put this off." Martha nodded and led them through the hall into the kitchen. Zeke was leaning against the counter and Chad and Taylor were sitting across from him. Chad and Zeke were drinking a beer while Taylor drank from a tall glass of water.

"Chad, Taylor," Kelsi called out.

"Hey!" they both shouted, Chad leaped off his chair to lift Kelsi off the ground in a hug. Taylor just slid off, and for good reason: she was obviously pregnant too.

"Taylor! How far along are you?"

"She's due in two months," Taylor said proudly, rubbing her stomach.

"I can't believe you're pregnant, too," Kelsi exclaimed while hugging her.

"Who else is… Wait a minute, you too?!"

"I just found out yesterday," Kelsi explained. "I'm flying to Chicago Monday night after I meet with my obstetrician to tell Jason."

"Speaking of Jason," Chad started, "who are you?" He asked Ryan.

"This is Alex," Kelsi answered for Ryan. "He's West High's new film teacher."

"Hi," Ryan/Alex said quietly.

"Sup," Chad replied. He extended his hand and gripped Ryan's hand tight. He looked at Ryan for a moment, studying him before releasing Ryan's hand.

"Let's eat," Zeke decided.

Dinner proceeded somewhat normally. Taylor gushed over what they were doing for their daughter's room while Chad talked about how she was going to be the best basketball player of her time. Martha talked a little more about her fitness program in Philadelphia. She had just made an agreement with Philadelphia Metro Schools to educate students regarding better eating and ways to exercise through dance. Kelsi talked more about her students and announced to them that she was retiring at the end of the year to write songs for Jason's movies. When the conversation turned to Ryan/Alex, he looked at Kelsi who only nodded.

"I haven't entirely been truthful," Ryan said.

"Really, Ryan?" Chad snapped. "I never would've guessed." Taylor gawked at Chad, then looked at Ryan in a state of shock.

"When'd you figure out?" Kelsi asked.

"When I shook your hand," Chad explained. "You still have the scar from senior year." Ryan looked at his hand and thought back. His right hand was torn open near the thumb during a baseball game when another player stomped on it during a fight. Chad was the one who drove him to the hospital for four stitches. "Why didn't you tell anyone where you went?"

"After five years, you haven't figured _that_ out?" Ryan asked bitterly.

"Ryan," Taylor started, "I know what you went through was difficult, but we were here in case you needed to talk. Heck, I was upset when I heard about it."

"Difficult?" Ryan said disbelievingly. "Difficult? Difficult is a way to describe a test or a task given to you by your boss. What I went through was painful. Worse than the pain you'll feel in two months."

"I was her best friend!" Taylor shouted.

"And I was in love with her!" Ryan shouted louder.

"Did you even tell her that?" Taylor asked with a forced calm.

"I left the night they told us," Ryan answered. "I left, went home, packed my things, left a note on my sister's pillow, emptied my bank account and trust fund, and was gone by sunrise. This is the first time I've been back since." Ryan stood up and walked out Zeke's back door onto the patio.

"You three knew?" Chad asked the rest of the people at the table.

"I'm the only one who knew the whole time," Kelsi interjected. "I found the note after Ryan left and hid it from Sharpay. Knowing her, she would've gone after him. I called him when he was on the road and told him to keep in touch, even though he didn't want to be found. I'm the only one he kept in touch with. His parents had him declared dead three years ago, just before that he changed his name to Alex Thompson."

"Sharpay took it hard when Ryan was declared dead," Zeke added. "I asked her to marry me not long after, but she said she wouldn't agree until Ryan was found. She knew he was alive, but didn't know where he was. I didn't believe her." Zeke dropped his head into his hands and Martha rubbed his back sympathetically.

"So how's tomorrow going to work?" Taylor asked. "He may be able to get by without his parents recognizing him, but Gabriella won't be fooled. She sees him, she'll recognize him."

"He'll dye his hair in the morning," Kelsi explained. "We'll announce him as Alex Thompson, just as we did tonight."

"I can pretend he's my boyfriend," Martha added. "I did have a crush on him in high school." Taylor excused herself and went to see Ryan while the other four continued discussing the funeral.

"Ryan?" Taylor asked. "You okay?" Ryan was gripping the railing of the patio, looking at the scar on his trembling hand. Taylor saw it and put her hands on it, "How long has your hand been shaking like this?"

"It's only this way when I'm stressed out," Ryan answered. "So it'd be Wednesday."

"I know we didn't talk that much during high school, but I felt we were friends through Gabriella." Taylor noticed Ryan's hand start to shake again. "I can see how you were hurt when Gabi married Troy, but I was more upset that they ran off to Vegas to do it. They didn't have an official ceremony after they got back or anything."

Ryan was crying quietly at being reminded of why he left. "She didn't?" he asked, "have a real ceremony?"

"No," Taylor answered, massaging her stomach gently. "Troy decided against it. After all the times he broke her heart, when he finally got her to marry him, he wasn't going to chance it with someone objecting to it at another wedding." Ryan looked away. "You left before he told us that first part. Troy told Chad and the guys that after all the girls took Ga- her out to celebrate."

They heard a knocking on the door and saw Kelsi waving them in. Ryan looked up at the stars and said, "Tomorrow's gonna suck."

Ryan started to walk in when Taylor grabbed his arm, "Between you and me, you'd be a better husband for Gabriella than Troy."

Kelsi opened the door for them and told them, "We gotta talk over how tomorrow's gonna work Ryan. Tay, Zeke's finished getting the guest room ready. You should probably go lie down."

"That a good idea," Taylor said. "She's kicking like crazy."

"That's my daughter," they heard Chad call from the kitchen.

Taylor moved past Kelsi into the house, but stopped before passing the table to say, "Remember what I said, Ryan. Goodnight."

"Night, Taylor," replied Ryan.

"Goodnight," Kelsi added. She looked at Ryan, who had a huge grin on his face. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Ryan answered. "This night went better than I thought." He followed Kelsi into the kitchen where they discussed the funeral with Zeke, Martha, and Chad.

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**From the Author:** I honestly don't know when I'll update this again because I have an interview on Tuesday. I'm going to work away at the next chapter (the funeral chapter). Ryan might talk to Gabriella next chapter, but they'll definitely talk two chapters from now. Right before posting, I only have 155 hits on the first two chapters. If you review, I'll mention you in the next chapter like I did with the three that did before this chapter was posted. 


	4. Chapter 4

**From the Author:** I really don't know how to get more people reading this. Thanks to TroyellaISaPOSER and Bal8rokstar for reviewing chapter 3. R&R, also if you have any ideas on a better summary, let me know and I might change it.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter IV**

Ryan woke up early on Saturday; he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Sharpay's funeral was today, as well as the potential of him seeing both his parents and Gabriella again. He tried dying his hair solo, seeing as Kelsi couldn't be around the chemicals. Zeke and Martha showed up while he was working on it, and Martha helped him get it to the right shade of black.

"You should've called me before you started," Martha said while rinsing Ryan's hair.

"I thought I could do it myself," Ryan defended, kneeling over the bathtub. He was just wearing his sleep pants.

Martha turned off the water and handed Ryan an old towel. "Yeah, well."

"Thanks," Ryan said as he dried his hair. He stood up and turned to see Martha inches away from him. Ryan opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Martha's lips pressed against his. After a moment, they broke apart. Martha blushed and backed away. "What- what was that for?" Ryan asked.

"I've waited over five years to do that," Martha answered shyly.

"Was it worth the wait?"

"Kinda, I dunno."

"Martha? Ryan? You two done down there?" Zeke called.

"I gotta get dressed!" Ryan called back. "Head on up Martha, I'll be up in a few." Martha just smiled and left Ryan to himself. He walked back into his room and grabbed his shirt, only to notice his hand shaking. He clenched it and held it close while he got dressed with his free hand. By the time he was finished dressing, his hand had stopped shaking. He went upstairs and saw everybody assembled in the front room.

Martha had on a black, form-fitting dress. Ryan was amazed she didn't get any chemical on it. Kelsi was wearing a looser fitting dress. Zeke wore a solid black suit, something Ryan never saw him in.

"You ready for this, Ryan?" Zeke asked.

"I remember the plan," Ryan said quietly. "Let's go."

They all filed out of Kelsi's house and into Zeke's car. Kelsi sat with Ryan in the back while Martha sat with Zeke in front.

Martha was telling a story about her life in Philly when Kelsi looked over to Ryan and asked, "What's wrong with your hand?"

Ryan looked down and saw it shaking. "Nothing," he quickly replied. He made to pull it away, but Kelsi grabbed it and held it tight.

"I know you're nervous, Ryan," Kelsi said quietly, "but don't worry. Everything's set." She held his hand until it stopped shaking.

HSMSHSMSMSHSMSHSM

The four had reached the cemetery and were walking towards a congregation of people on a hill. The sun filtered through the clouds onto the people in black. Rows of chairs were situated in front of a dark mahogany casket surrounded by pink flowers, Sharpay's favorite color. A picture of Sharpay taken sometime after Ryan left was on an easel surrounded by more flowers. Ryan's heart skipped a beat when he saw his parents in the front row with Coach and Mrs. Bolton. Ms. Montez had just joined them and hugged Ryan's mom. He made to move towards them, but he felt Kelsi's hand wrap around his arm.

"Right, the plan," Ryan said. He followed Kelsi, Zeke, and Martha to their seats. Zeke was in the front row with Ryan's parents. At his request, Martha was allowed to sit with him. Kelsi and Ryan were in the second row, next to Chad and Taylor, who were next to _them_.

Troy and Gabriella stood and greeted Kelsi, who introduced Ryan as Alex Thompson. Ryan shook both their hands, a feeling of hatred pulsed through his body when his hand met Troy's. As soon as his hand met Gabriella's though, he felt the hatred flood out and a spark of something surge through his body. A look of shock flashed on her face at the same moment. They both pulled away from the handshake in a little bit of a daze.

They took their seats and listened to people reflect on Sharpay's life: what they loved about her, what they'll miss. Zeke broke down sobbing in the middle of his reflection, and Martha rushed up to comfort him. Ryan's mom's reflection affected Ryan the most. She spoke of him in the past tense, how Ryan _should_ be there for his sister; how she'll never have a grandchild; how her son _abandoned_ his family. By the end of his mom's reflection, Ryan was crying quietly into Kelsi's hair and her into his shirt.

After the last person finished their reflection, people slowly began to leave. Most dropped flowers onto the casket or talked to Sharpay's parents. Ryan took this opportunity to slip away. It didn't take long for him to find himself looking down on the mourners from a higher hill. The clouds were starting to part and the sun bore down on his shoulders. He was about to start walking back to say his final goodbyes when someone said, "Why'd you come back, Wildcat?"

Ryan whipped around and saw Gabriella, her dark brown hair was down beyond her shoulders now, standing out against her black dress. "You think that answer would be obvious."

"Everyone thinks you're dead," Gabriella said, her voice breaking.

"Actually," Ryan corrected, "you, your husband, and my parents are the only ones who think I'm still dead."

"And you couldn't tell me?" Gabriella shouted through the tears.

A breeze had picked up and Ryan was about to shout something back when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He opened it and heard Kelsi on the other end.

"Kels, what is it?"

"Ryan, I just got something from Sharpay's estate. It's a disc, addressed to you."

"Me Ryan or me Alex?"

"Ryan," Kelsi confirmed. "I'm at the car. Whatever this is, I think you need to look at it."

"I'm on my way, tell Zeke we need the car," Ryan said before hanging up his phone and putting it back in his pocket. Ryan walked over to a sobbing Gabriella and put his hands on her shoulders. "Gabi, you _cannot_ tell Troy I'm back. Right now, I need to figure out how Sharpay knew I was alive all this time. Call Kelsi if you want to talk to me." He hesitated before letting her go and strode off, leaving her standing on the hill, wind blowing her hair and tears falling down her face.

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**AN:** This was a hard one to end. I was going to have Gabriella confront him at the very end of the chapter, but this way I can tie in the next few chapters more easily. The disc plays a role. Read and review. If anyone has a better way to sum up the story, leave a review and let me know what it should be. The more the reviews, the sooner the next chapter goes up. 


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Still not enough people reading. I only had 54 hits on chapter 4 to this point. Same Disclaimer applies as before. Thanks to SweetWildThang for the review. I might've just found out why this story isn't getting hits: It isn't showing up on the main page for the K- T ratings. For the few that recommend this story, tell them to look specifically in the K section. I might bump it back up to a T rating again.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter V**

Ryan found Kelsi walking away from Zeke with his car keys in her hand. She pointed to the car and Ryan asked, "Where do we have to go?" as soon as he was close enough no one else could hear.

"Just back to my house," Kelsi answered. "Your parents gave me the disc already." She pulled out a CD case from her purse and held it up. She handed it to him and unlocked the car. They got in and began driving back to Kelsi's house. Ryan opened the case and removed the disc to examine it. It was a regular DVD with a picture of a video cassette on it. Turning it over, he saw that just over half the disc had information on it.

Ryan put the disc back into the case and closed it before asking, "Did you tell her I was alive?"

"No," Kelsi defended. "Twins are rumored to have a sort of telepathy. If you were dead, she probably would've sensed it."

"Maybe," Ryan mused. He looked at the disc again before Kelsi spoke up again.

"What did you two talk about?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw Gabriella follow you up the hill. You two must've talked about something."

"I was about to tell her why I left when you called. I was about to tell her everything actually."

"You didn't tell her?" Kelsi asked.

"I told her to call you if she wanted to talk. She'll call by the end of the night." They pulled in to her driveway and she turned off the car.

Ryan got out of the car and walked up to the door of Kelsi's house, Kelsi a few steps behind. "How do you know she'll call?"

Ryan thought briefly before answering, "I know she will. It's in her nature."

Kelsi looked at Ryan before unlocking the door and pushing it open. Ryan let Kelsi walk in before entering and closing the door behind him. She went into the master bedroom to change while he went downstairs to the guestroom to do the same. A few minutes later they both returned to the front room. Ryan set the disc on the coffee table and both of them stared at it for a minute before either spoke up.

"We should watch it together, neither of us knows what's on there," Kelsi pointed out.

"Can the player in the theater run the disc?" Ryan asked.

"It should," Kelsi answered, picking up the disc. "Let's go."

"I'm grabbin' pen and paper," Ryan added. "We don't know what it'll say."

They walked downstairs and into the theater. Kelsi pointed Ryan to a seat and took the one next to a console between them. She opened the console and opened the DVD player to insert the disc. Kelsi turned on the projector at the back of the room with one remote and waited for the DVD player to load. As soon as it was, an image appeared on the screen and a voice sounded through the speakers. "This is a specially designed limited-use DVD. The information on this disc will be destroyed after five more plays. This disc is uninterruptable; it cannot be stopped until the end."

"That's Jason's voice," Kelsi noted.

"Why would Jason help Sharpay make a special disc?" Ryan asked. Kelsi only shrugged in response.

They looked back at the screen and saw Sharpay in front of a sky blue background. She looked different from how Ryan remembered her. She looked like she hadn't slept in a couple days and her smile was somewhat faded. Her hair wasn't in the normal fashion Ryan was used to, it was flat. They heard Jason say, "Whenever you're ready. Press the red button when you're done and it'll stop recording."

"Thanks," Sharpay said looking off to the side. She looked at the camera and adjusted her hair as they both heard a door close. "Ryan, if you're watching this, then something's happened to me and someone needs to know why it's happened. I guess I need to make sense of it, too.

"About four or five months ago, Troy started seeing me on the side. I know you hate him for what he did, but I've always loved him and I've wanted it for years. I just found out I'm seven weeks pregnant and I don't know what to do. I can't talk to anyone because then it'll come out I've had an affair. I love Zeke and I can't do this to him. I'm going to meet with Troy as soon as I'm done here to tell him. I've already done the math and it has to be Troy.

"I honestly hope that no one sees this video; that no one ever finds out what happened. But I worry that Troy won't react well. I miss you and I love you, Ryan. I hope I see you soon. I want you to see your niece or nephew. They'll be so beautiful." Sharpay had started crying by then end of her speech.

She pushed a button on the remote and Jason's voice came back over the speakers, "You have reached the end of this special limited-use disc. The information on this disc will be destroyed after four more plays." The screen went blank and Kelsi raised the lights. She looked over and saw Ryan crying, still looking at the screen.

"I should've been there," Ryan said solemnly.

Kelsi got up and knelt next to Ryan, "You did what you had to, but what Sharpay did… How could she?"

"She would've done anything to get Troy," Ryan rationalized. "At least she didn't kill his wife to get him."

"You think she could've gone that far?"

Ryan had stopped crying and looked up, "Troy might have." Kelsi looked at him confusedly. "You told me Shar was in a car accident. What if it wasn't?"

"Wait," Kelsi said standing up. "Are you saying Troy killed Sharpay?"

"I'm not dismissing the notion," Ryan answered.

"I can't believe you, Ryan. You're accusing Troy Bolton of murder!" Kelsi shouted.

"I'm not accusing him," Ryan snapped back, "I just think it's a possibility. Look at what he's done to keep his relationship with Gabriella: The talent show, giving up his scholarship, eloping in Vegas and not having a second wedding for his family and friends, there could be more! From where I'm sitting, it fits that he would kill Sharpay to keep Gabriella."

Kelsi was about to snap back when the phone rang. She shook her head and swore, "I can't believe you'd say something like that." She walked over to the phone and answered it while Ryan removed the disc from the player and put it back in the case. He was too wrapped up in his twin's possible fate to hear Kelsi hang up the phone and walk back over to him. "You were right."

Ryan looked up, "What?"

"About Gabi," Kelsi explained. "That was her on the phone. She's on her way over."

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**AN:** Ten hits between me starting and finishing this chapter. So here's how I'm gonna play this from now on. I won't start working on the next chapter until I have at least 50 hits on this chapter. If I have it done by the time this chapter gets 100 hits, I'll post it. Each review counts as 5 hits. 

For those of you who are really intrigued by this story, I think you can cheat the system by just reloading the chapter a bunch of times. If you guys do that, chapter 6 could be up by the end of next weekend.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** I'm not apologizing for taking so long to upload, because you guys took a long time to meet the agreed number. Thanks to Bal8rokstar, Patchfur, autumnamberleaves, Captain Professor Royallce M.D, and foxee-chik who all reviewed! I'll have the same rules apply: Each review counts as 5 hits, 100 hits and I'll put up the new chapter.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter VI**

Ryan and Kelsi had moved back upstairs and were sitting in the front room waiting for Gabriella for arrive.

"You know what you'll say?" Kelsi asked.

"I've been waiting for this day for five years, I've had time," Ryan answered. "You gonna call Jason about the disc?"

"I'll call him while she's talking to you," Kelsi paused. "She called me while she was driving, she should be here any minute. I wonder where she is." She walked over to the front door and opened it to reveal Gabriella with her hand hovering over the doorbell.

She looked up and meekly said, "Oh. Hi." Kelsi moved out of the way and let Gabriella in. She closed the door and looked at both of them. She could tell each of them were extremely uncomfortable. "I'm going to call Jason, see if I can figure out where the hard copy of that disc is." Kelsi looked at them again before going into the kitchen.

Ryan sat motionless looking out the window. He saw Gabriella behind his reflection in the window. She moved around the couch and sat next to Ryan. As she moved to place a hand on his leg, it moved away along with the rest of Ryan. She looked up at him, the same stern look on his face he had when she first saw him at the cemetery. "You never answered my question. Why'd you leave?"

Ryan took a deep breath before answering shakily, "I had to."

"That's not an answer," Gabriella said as calm as she could.

"Why do you care?" Ryan snapped.

"Because I did care! I do care!" Gabriella snapped back.

"Fine," Ryan said pounding his knees with his fists before standing. "I couldn't stay. I couldn't stay because I couldn't stand to see you _married_ to another man. I barely got a chance with you. I could've made you happy beyond your wildest fantasies, but you never gave me the chance to find out what could've been."

"But why make everyone think you're dead?" Gabriella asked, hurt from what she'd just heard.

"If I didn't completely disappear, people would've come looking for me. Whether it be Sharpay, my parents, or you. Tell me Gabriella, if you knew I was still alive, would you have come after me?" Ryan's hand was shaking noticeably now by the end of his rant.

"Yes, I would have," Gabriella defended. "I was thinking about breaking up with Troy after what happened at the prom." Ryan remembered that Troy and Sharpay had "almost" hooked-up at the prom after party, which left the door open for Ryan to make his move with Gabriella. She was drunk and all over him, but being the gentleman he refrained. "Then at the graduation party, he decided to sweep me away to Vegas so we could get married. It was, at the time, one of the most romantic things I'd ever heard."

"What about your dream wedding?" Ryan asked coldly. "All the talks we had the summer before our senior year. Did you even end up going to college? Get your dream job?"

Gabriella paused. Her wedding was a quickie in Vegas instead of a wedding on a beach in the Caribbean. She never went to Stanford like she planned; instead she to Albuquerque Community College. She worked as a clerk in the city courthouse instead of a lawyer. She got up to confront Ryan when she noticed he was clutching his shaking hand. The seeming look of anger faded to concern. "How long have you been like this?"

"It's sporadic," Ryan said pulling his hand away. He looked at his hand and noticed that it had almost completely stopped shaking.

Just then, Kelsi came back in the room and announced, "Jason showed me where the hard copy is. It's hooked into the projection system and we can watch the video again without using one of the uses."

"What video?" Gabriella asked.

Ryan and Kelsi exchanged looks. After a pause Kelsi said, "Ryan, she has to find out eventually."

"Find out what?" Gabriella asked.

Kelsi sighed before answering, "Shar left Ryan a DVD. It has a video Jason helped her make on it. Unfortunately, it gives us a theory as to what caused Sharpay's accident." Kelsi motioned for the both of them to follow her downstairs.

In a couple minutes, Kelsi had the video ready and was standing over Gabriella with a box of tissues. "You'll need these." Gabriella looked at Ryan, who only nodded from his side of the room.

Kelsi pressed play and stood next to Ryan. They watched Sharpay's confession and Gabriella's subsequent reaction. By the end she was sobbing and almost hysterical. Between the sobs, Kelsi and Ryan made out, "How could he do this to me?"

"Gabi, you should stay here tonight," Kelsi recommended. Ryan shot a look over at Kelsi. She looked back at Ryan and mouthed, 'She has to. She can't go back to Troy now.'

Gabriella looked through her tear glazed brown eyes at Kelsi, then at Ryan. Kelsi had a look of caring concern on her face while Ryan cracked a smile. Any thoughts Gabriella had of going and confronting Troy disappeared at the sight of Ryan's smile. "Okay."

Ryan and Kelsi made the second guest room up, which was across from Ryan's guest room. The room was identical, except the window was on a different wall. Ryan went out into town and brought back Chinese for dinner, which was eaten in near silence. The trio then went down to the theater with the plans to watch a pair of movies that would take Gabriella's mind off what was to come. The funeral had taken its toll on Ryan, and he dismissed himself midway through the first movie. In reality, he just couldn't be in the same room with Gabriella anymore.

Ryan was in his room lying between the comforter and sheets looking up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened during the day when he heard a soft knocking at the door. He looked at the floor by the door and saw a pair of shadows moving. He got up and walked to the door. Opening it, he saw Gabriella in a white tank top and short blue shorts.

"I can't sleep," Gabriella said. "Can we talk?"

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**AN:** Seriously, I'm thinking about discontinuing this story. I gotta see some hits, and I gotta see 'em fast. Read, Review, and Recommend. It's after one in the morning here, I have work tomorrow, I'm going to bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** Here's the sanitized version of chapter 7. Six reviews on the last one? It's close to a miracle. Thanks to: foxee-chik, britney, layan, altcy, bsbneysdc, and PlutoForPlanethood04. Your reviews got this chapter posted sooner.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter VII**

Ryan looked at Gabriella in the doorway, her hair cascading down her shoulders and covering the straps of her white tank top. She crossed her arms nervously and looked down at her feet. "I can't sleep," Gabriella said softly. "Can we talk?"

Ryan checked out Gabriella, from her hair down past her blue shorts and her toned legs. "Sure," Ryan said before moving out of the way.

She walked in quietly and sat on the bed while Ryan closed the door. There was a soft click as the door latched and Ryan turned to see Gabriella sitting on the edge of the bed. She was hanging her head so that her hair was almost down to her waist, her hands between her knees. He walked over and knelt in front of Gabriella. He immediately noticed tears falling into her cupped hands. Ryan moved a hand up to Gabriella's face, but she turned away.

"Gabriella, you wanted to talk," Ryan pointed out.

"Can you call me Gabi like you used to, Wildcat?" Gabriella asked, her voice breaking.

"Okay, Gabi. But you have to call me Ryan."

Gabi sniffed back a tear and managed to say, "Ryan," before throwing her arms around him and burying her head in his chest. She had broken down into full sobs. "Why would he do this to me?"

Ryan had his hands up as he looked down at Gabi. Slowly he brought his hands down, placing on hand on the back of her head and the other gently on the small of her back. He began rocking back and forth as Gabi continued to cry.

Gabi pulled away from Ryan and asked, "Why couldn't you have stayed?"

Ryan looked down into Gabi's chocolate eyes and moved so that they sat on the bed. "I was in love with you, Gabi. From before Lava Springs I was crazy about you. All I wanted was that one chance. After you eloped, I couldn't stay knowing that that chance was gone."

"What about after prom?" Gabi asked.

"You were drunk," Ryan defended. "I'm not that kind of guy. I'd never do that to you."

"There were nights after you left," Gabi began, "that I wanted to leave in the middle of the night and try to find you. I made a mistake marrying Troy."

"Then why don't you leave him?"

Gabi rose from the bed and crossed the room. She hugged herself and asked, "Where would I go?"

Ryan moved up behind her and answered softly, "You know where I am now, come with me."

He wrapped his arms around her softly and she snuggled back into him. There was a click and hum as the air conditioner began running and cool air entered the room. She finally noticed the definition Ryan had developed since he left. "You want me to come with you? After what I did?"

"I still care about you, a lot," Ryan answered. "I don't know if we'd end up together, but I'd get my chance." He turned her around to face him. "Besides, if it doesn't work; you'd have a fresh start and be able to go where you want."

"Right now I'm where I want to be," Gabi said. She quickly closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his. They both felt a rush of what could be best described as electricity flow between them.

Ryan was stunned by this at first, and his first instinct took over as he pushed Gabi away softly. "What was that?" he asked out of breath.

"Your chance," Gabi replied, flush from what she'd just felt. "You taking it?"

Ryan didn't answer, he just pulled Gabi against him and kissed her as hard as he could without hurting her. She ran one hand down the side of his face while the other was in his black hair. Ryan slid one hand up her face and into her long hair while the other was around her waist keeping her close.

After a minute, they broke apart and Gabi panted, "I'm sorry, Ryan."

"What? Why?"

"We should've done this years ago," she answered with a playful grin on her face. Ryan had seen that look on faces before and knew exactly what it meant. They shed their clothes and soon after they were lost in their lust.

Sometime later, after they were finished, Ryan and Gabi were spooning under the sheets. Gabi put an arm back behind Ryan's head and brought it so she could kiss him. "You do love me," she whispered.

"I love you Gabriella," Ryan confirmed before kissing her. Gabi began to shift and move to the edge of the bed when Ryan pulled her back and asked, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to my room," Gabi answered. "What do you think Kelsi would say if she saw us like this?"

"She's not doing bed checks," Ryan defended. "She's probably knocked out from all the hormones the pregnancy's pumpin' into her body."

"She's pregnant?" Gabi whisper-yelled.

"Yeah, she just found out," Ryan explained. "We'll be fine. You wanted to talk, so let's talk."

Gabi slipped out of Ryan's grip and walked to the end of the bed where her shorts were. Ryan threw his head back and looked up at the ceiling, only to have the view obscured by his shorts thrown in his face. He ripped them away and saw Gabi pulling her shorts up. "If we're going to talk, I'm not doing it naked. And neither are you." Ryan put his shorts on while Gabi put on her top.

She crawled back into bed with Ryan and cuddled up close to him. They talked until they couldn't keep their eyes open anymore, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

Not long after they fell asleep, the door clicked and cracked open. Kelsi had tried to talk to Gabi before going to bed but couldn't find her. She poked her head in and looked at Ryan's bed. Seeing the two intertwined under the sheets, she couldn't help but to smile.

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**AN:** I don't know where I'll take it from here, but I've got a good idea. And I definitely don't know when I'll post again. So the more reviews and hits I get might get me moving on chapter 8.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Yeah, this is really late, but this one has been hard to write. Working with a 2 hour commute isn't fun. Five reviews isn't that bad, thanks to: lashleyRyella, PlutoForPlanethood04, layan, foxee-chik, and bsbneysdc for the reviews.

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**Inner Demons: Chapter VIII**

The morning sunlight filtered through the window in Kelsi's guest room. Gabi stirred and felt a warm body around hers. Without moving, she moved her hands down to those of the person behind her. Running her slender fingers along them, she realized that they weren't her husband's. She began to panic as she ran a hand through the man's hair; it was much shorter than her husband's. Without screaming or audibly freaking out, she slipped out of the man's grip and left the room without looking at who was in the bed.

Gabi looked around the hallway and immediately knew it wasn't hers. Running down the hall and up the stairs, she nearly ran into Kelsi coming out of the kitchen.

"Morning, Gabi," Kelsi said with a smile.

All the thoughts Gabi had running through her mind decided to pour out. "What… Where… Who was I in bed with?"

"Do you remember what happened after the funeral yesterday?" Kelsi asked worriedly.

"I came over here," Gabi started. "I saw a video of Sharpay. I woke up this morning. I've got gaps in my memory. It- it's weird. I had a dream Ryan came back, but with black hair."

"It wasn't a dream," Ryan said from behind her. Gabi whipped around and saw Ryan standing at the top of the stairs wearing his shorts from last night. He ran a hand through his short black hair and looked at her quizzically. "You okay, Gabi?"

Gabi started breathing heavily and began to fall, but Ryan rushed over and caught her. "I got ya," he said picking her up. He laid her on the couch and looked at Kelsi. "She fainted. What just happened?"

"I don't know," Kelsi replied. "She ran into me as I came out of the kitchen and was really confused about where she was."

"What now?" Ryan asked.

Kelsi sighed before saying, "I'll start breakfast."

Ryan and Kelsi left Gabriella on the couch and started on breakfast. Within minutes, the smell of eggs, ham, and toast wafted through the house. They sat at the kitchen table, Ryan stealing glances at Gabi.

"You think she'll be okay?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," Kelsi answered after looking at her sleeping on the couch. "She just found out her husband cheated on her with a close friend, got her pregnant, may have _killed_ her, and the presumed dead man that loved her is actually alive." She paused before concluding sarcastically, "Yeah she'll be fine."

"Maybe we shouldn't have sprung everything on her so fast," Ryan thought after downing a bite of his eggs.

"Gabi's always been strong," Kelsi defended with piece of toast in her hand. "This'll just take time."

"She doesn't have a lot of options," Ryan said. "You think she can actually go back to him?"

"Not a chance," Kelsi answered. "This has to be the last straw. After everything he's put her through, there's no way she'll forgive him."

"I mean what is she going to do?" Ryan asked. "She can't just disappear."

"You did."

"Different circumstances," Ryan retorted.

"You disappeared in less than 12 hours and stayed that way for five years. Could we do the same for her?"

"Let me get this straight," Ryan started. "You want to relocate Gabriella to God-Knows-Where without her husband finding out in a very small timetable. Also note the fact, that she's still married to him!"

"You could do that?" Gabi asked. Both Ryan and Kelsi turned to see Gabi leaning against the doorway leading into the kitchen. "Get me out of here?"

"Well…" Ryan trailed off.

"It shouldn't be too hard," Kelsi answered for him. "We get movers in first thing tomorrow to clear your stuff out. You could call in a favor at the courthouse to get your divorce paperwork rushed. More importantly, we have to clue in everyone but Troy's family and your mom."

"My mom?" Gabriella asked in disbelief.

"When I disappeared, no one knew where I was going. Kelsi found out by sheer luck," Ryan explained.

"I'm calling Zeke, Martha, Chad, and Taylor over," Kelsi announced.

Gabriella sat next to Ryan and looked him in the eyes. "Last night, did we… you know?"

"Yeah," Ryan answered looking away.

Gabi put a hand under his chin and turned his face back to her. "You were always there for me. Maybe you could still be there when this is all over."

"How do you figure?"

"Can I move to where you are?"

"That actually wouldn't be a bad idea," Kelsi interjected. "They're on their way now. Gabi, you should get some breakfast."

Gabi ate while Ryan and Kelsi waited for the four to arrive. By the time Gabi was done, everyone had arrived and was seated in the living room. Ryan and Kelsi explained the plan they had come up with for Gabi.

"Let me get this straight," Chad said, shaking his head. "You're going to rush Gabi's divorce and move her to another city without Troy finding out where she's going?"

Ryan thought for a second before answering, "That about sums it up, yeah."

Chad flopped himself back in the chair at Ryan's response. Gabi and Martha were too occupied rubbing Taylor's belly to notice Chad's question.

"Zeke, do you know when Troy leaves for work?"

"He's usually gone by 9 at the latest," Gabi answered.

"Okay, here's how it works: Chad, call the movers and have them at Gabi's place at 10. That'll give about 6 hours to clear her stuff out. Taylor and Martha, help Gabi drum up the divorce papers."

"What about Kelsi?" Chad asked.

"She's meeting with her obstetrician in the morning, and then on a plane to Chicago by the afternoon to see Jason," Ryan answered.

Zeke finally spoke up, "Where's she gonna stay once she's moved out?"

Ryan, Kelsi, and Gabi looked at each other before Kelsi answered, "Gabi will stay with Ryan in Denver until she gets another place and job elsewhere."

"Once more thing," Ryan added. "No one can tell Gabi's husband, his family, or Gabi's mom where she is. Everything we've talked about here doesn't leave this room. If her husband asks where she is, you don't know. Understand?"

Everyone nodded. Kelsi stepped forward and said, "Alright then, let's get to work."

* * *

**AN:** Okay, so it looks like chapter 9 will be the move. I don't know when the next update will come since I'm going on vacation in about 2 weeks. Read, review, and recommend!


	9. Chapters 9 to 13

**AN:** Since I've pretty much lost interest in all my works, I'm just gonna sum up how the rest of the story would have unfolded. So, here we go: Chapters 9-13. Let me know what you think.

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**Chapter IX**: Gabriella, Kelsi, Martha, and Zeke pack up Gabriella's things while Chad and Taylor talk to Ryan about Gabriella and how Troy will be dealt with. After the moving truck leaves for Denver, Martha announces that she'll stay in Albuquerque to comfort Zeke for a while. Everyone says their goodbyes, and Kelsi leaves for the airport with Gabi and Ryan. At the airport, she pulls Ryan aside and questions him about the night he spent with Gabi. Kelsi says her goodbyes and leaves for Chicago and Jason. The chapter ends with Troy and Chad in a bar after Troy comes home to all of Gabriella's things missing. Troy angrily accuses Chad of helping her disappear, even threatening Taylor and her baby. Chad decks Troy and leaves the bar.

**Chapter X**: Two Months Later. Ryan is awakened from Gabriella sick in the bathroom. While she's in there, he answers a call from Chad and Taylor, safely back in Oklahoma City. Taylor has given birth to a daughter, which they named Sharpay in honor of Ryan sister. Chad has to go, and misses a chance to talk to Gabi. Ryan asks Gabi if she could be pregnant and convinces her to take a test. She takes it, and it comes back negative. She admits she wants a kid, but not until she's married. Ryan points out that her divorce isn't finalized, and she technically is married. She dismisses the notion that she and Troy were married. They celebrate the negative test by going out to dinner, but miss their reservation when Troy barges in with a handgun.

**Chapter XI**: Troy holds Ryan and Gabriella hostage, demanding that she return to Albuquerque with him. Ryan wants to know whether or not Troy killed Sharpay. Troy declines, but Ryan theorizes that Tory will kill him anyway no matter what Gabi does. Troy consents, but doesn't notice Gabi calling 911 and recording him when he confesses to cutting Sharpay's brakes after she told him she was pregnant with his baby. Troy takes aim at Ryan when the police burst in. Troy swings his gun around, but is disarmed by Ryan before any damage is done. Ryan and Gabriella go back into their bedroom and just hold each other. Ryan asks Gabi to marry him as soon as the divorce is final, and she agrees, but only if they can do the wedding she wanted back in high school.

**Chapter XII**: Ryan returned to Albuquerque to tell his parents he was still alive. Originally being upset, his parents are overjoyed that they have a child again. He tells them that he and Gabi are getting married as soon as her divorce to Troy is finalized. Ryan's dad pulls strings and gets her divorce through in a matter of days. At Troy's trial, many of his friends take the stand telling him about the changes he underwent while cheating on his now ex-wife. Troy is convicted, and sentenced to no less than 30 years in prison.

**Chapter XIII**: Six months after Chapter XI, the gang minus Troy are gathered on a beach in Antigua for Ryan and Gabriella's wedding. Zeke and Martha became a couple and moved back to Philadelphia, with Zeke teaching cooking classes in conjunction with Martha's health and fitness club. Chad, Taylor, and baby Sharpay moved to Denver when Chad was traded and called up to play for the Colorado Rockies as a third baseman. Kelsi, now a couple weeks from her due date, left her teaching job and started working the soundtracks for Jason's movies, whose work in Chicago earned him rave reviews. Jason wasn't nominated for any large awards, but was quoted as saying, "It's not like I can't make another great movie."

During the ceremony, Kelsi starts showing signs of discomfort. Right when the reverend asks if anyone objects, Kelsi screams and grabs her stomach. Ryan tells the reverend to pronounce them man and wife so they can get Kelsi to the hospital. Zeke, Chad, Jason, and Ryan get Kelsi to the hospital where she has a son she names Ryan Jason. While everyone is congratulating Jason and Kelsi, Ryan and Gabriella slip away to start their honeymoon and the rest of their lives in peace.

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**AN:** So that's it. I'm working on a Suite Life on Deck lemon with Cody and Bailey, but I honestly don't know if and when I'll get it done. That one might actually be the last story I post on here. Let me know what you thought of these by clicking the "Submit Review" button on the bottom left of your browser page.


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